Old city lanes choke in dust, chaos after U-turn blocked

Bhopal: The inner lanes around Old Kotwali, once dependable and calm, have now turned into a labyrinth of congestion and chaos after the Moti-Masjid U-turn was blocked in Nov and traffic were diverted to these lanes.People visiting the Ramzan markets on vehicles or on foot find it difficult to navigate the stretch and residents and business owners say that they are paying the price of poor planning here. For those unfamiliar, Old Kotwali was little more than a two-room police outpost beneath a sprawling banyan tree, which whispers stories of generations who passed beneath its shade.At the Talaiya intersection, four roads meet like threads in a woven tapestry of the city's past. One winds towards Reth Ghat along the VIP Road, another slips into the bustling alleys of Ibrahimpura near Alok Press. A third stretches towards the venerable old MLB College, while the fourth meanders into the heart of Ginnori. Each turn carries echoes of history—rickshaws rattling, shopkeepers calling, footsteps tracing paths worn smooth by decades. The crossroads feels less like asphalt and more like a living archive of Bhopal's old-world charm.But that charm is now buried under dust and chaos. The Moti Masjid U-turn was blocked in Nov and four months on, the lanes are clogged day and night, their surfaces broken and crumbling, the entire matrix of movement across old city collapsing into disorder. "The road has deteriorated so badly that it resembles a patchwork of craters and dust, where every step or wheel feels like crossing potholes rather than a city lane," said Narendra, owner of Akash shop—famous for its homemade sweets and Bhopal's beloved Kharey (Besan Sev). Residents say the administration failed to foresee the fallout. "We warned them these lanes cannot bear such heavy traffic," he said. Others blame the traffic police. "Instead of managing the flow, they just stand by and watch," lamented Shabana Khan, a local resident. "The administration has abandoned us, and politicians remain silent. We are left to suffer in this mess." Businesses across the lanes echo the frustration. Small eateries and retail shops that once thrived on foot traffic now report losses. "Dust from broken roads settles on our goods, and customers don't want to linger," said Anil Verma, who runs a clothing store. The frustration is palpable. With worsening air pollution, constant honking, and crumbling infrastructure, residents say the lanes have lost their soul.